Us Against the World
by Farrah Czajkowski
Summary: There are many clans that reside in Konoha. Some hold great influence; others, not so much. But there's one clan in particular, one that strikes fear into many - it is the Hatake clan. Initially, there were only two members: the White Fang Sakumo, and his prodigy son, Kakashi. But as Kakashi got older, he welcomed a daughter, Yuri. Her birth would bring about a series of change.
1. Chapter 1

_Through chaos as it swirls_

 _It's us against the world_  
 _Through chaos as it swirls_  
 _It's us against the world_

-Us Against the World; **by Coldplay**

* * *

 **11 ½ Years Earlier**

* * *

The day Kanna Fujiwara found out about her pregnancy, she was terrified. She was young, inexperienced. She had no idea how to take care of a child. She could hardly take care of herself on a good day! Kanna's family tried warning her. Her family tried convincing her to stop her reckless behavior, but she wouldn't listen. When that shinobi - that damned shinobi - came into her village, she was instantly smitten. He was an ANBU, Kanna could tell that much. ANBU shinobi always had their faces concealed, but there was just _some_ thing about him Kanna was attracted to. He must've felt something, too. In the time he spent in the village, the two had frequent get-togethers in secluded areas. It was in those moments Kanna saw his face for the first time. Or, at least part of his face. He always wore a mask. His face was so concealed, he only had one eye visible. His need to conceal his true identity, even outside of his ANBU uniform, didn't bother Kanna. She still found herself attracted to him in some way. As his stay in the village became longer, that was when the changes started to occur. Their relationship had been intimate, it had been for a while. But Kanna was starting to notice changes in her body. Nausea and vomiting; an increase in breast size; sensitivity to certain foods - it didn't make sense in the beginning. She tried to tell him, she wanted him to know what was going on.

When he'd been told, he froze. His attitude seemed to change. He'd started to warm up to Kanna, but still kept himself at a comfortable distance. At the news of her sickness, of her physical changes, he pressed her to check in with a doctor. He failed to tell Kanna he'd be leaving with his team later that day. But she followed his advice nonetheless. She met with a doctor; they took tests. They confirmed a pregnancy. That caused Kanna's blood to run cold. But it explained all of her symptoms. It explained everything; including his behavior. She went to their spot, hoping he'd be there so she could tell him the news. He never showed up. Kanna went to their spot, every night, for over a month. He still failed to show up. After a month and a half, it finally dawned on her - he'd abandoned them. That Konoha shinobi left Kanna and their child high and dry. Naturally, she was furious at the thought of his abandonment. But, at the same time, it made sense. He was an ANBU; his duties came before anything else. Sadly, the conflicting emotions remained in her through the duration of her pregnancy. Anger from him leaving, understanding the importance of his loyalties - it was a never-ending cycle. Kanna made herself understand she had to take care of her daughter, regardless of her mixed emotions about the shinobi. But the birth of the child did spark up a lot of controversy.

One very big issue that came with Kanna's child was the fact that she had a Konohagakure father. That ANBU, and his team, were passing through Kumogakure, the Land of Lightning. It was no secret that the two great nations had a bad history with each other. There was the instance with the Gold and Silver Brothers almost killing the Second Hokage during an attempted peace treaty with the Second Raikage. Then Kumo and Konoha opposed each other during the First Shinobi World War. The same would happen again during the Second Shinobi World War. Even when a peace treaty _did_ form between the two nations, Kumo refused to demilitarize like Konoha wanted. The Kumo military was kept running in secret, in case of another battle or war, in which the Land of Lightning could have the upper hand. But even with the treaty in place, it didn't change the hostilities the nations felt for each other. Kumo, on many occasions, staged secret kidnappings within Konoha. One of the most infamous was the kidnapping of Kushina Uzumaki. Naturally it failed, but if it had been successful, then the Land of Lightning would not only have an Uzumaki, a supposedly powerful one at that, and another jinchuuriki, but also access to another Tailed-Beast. But, of course, that plan didn't work out.

Another very big issue that came with the baby was Kanna's family. Before the pregnancy, her family warned her against seeing a Leaf shinobi. They didn't trust him _or_ his comrades. Kanna, of course, thought her family had no idea what they were talking about. She felt she could make her _own_ decisions. Her ignorance and stubbornness cost her greatly in the end. Kanna's father, Akihito, claimed that his granddaughter's birth brought shame onto their family. He didn't want to accept that _his_ daughter had been so foolish that she'd conceive a child with a Konoha ninja. The Fujiwara family, Kanna's family, were on the brink of casting her out when she came to them with an idea. Why not send the child to live with her father?

 **ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ**

The day Yuri Fujiwara was brought to Konoha, she was a little over two months old. Kanna's idea of sending her daughter away had been widely accepted by her family; and they were eager to send the newborn off. In the eyes of every Fujiwara, the sooner Yuri was out of the picture, the better. For Kanna, however, it was a little hard. Despite being such a young mother, Yuri was still her _child_ \- it wasn't an entirely easy task to carry out. Even though sending the infant away would save Kanna the embarrassment of being cast out from her family, the plan started to make her feel guilty. Yuri would grow up with no knowledge of her maternal family. She'd grow up with no knowledge of her _mother_. That struck an emotional chord in Kanna. Her baby girl would never know who she was. And all because the Fujiwara family was concerned about their reputation. But, in the end, sending Yuri away was probably in her best interest. Akihito would have never accepted his granddaughter if Kanna chose to keep her in Kumo. The entire Fujiwara clan would have rejected _her_ and her mother. At least in Konoha, Yuri would have a better life. One without judgment or ridicule.

So, a little over two months after Yuri's birth, Kanna brought her to Konoha. She'd been escorted by a Kumo shinobi, personally chosen by the Raikage himself. The journey from Kumogakure to Konoha was long and treacherous - Kanna and her escort encountered bandits and a small handful of rogues, resulting in minor setbacks in their schedule. On top of that, Yuri came down with a fever and had to be examined by doctors and healers. It took a full two and a half weeks before the infant's fever was low enough to be considered healthy. Kanna had to provide medication to ensure things remained stable with her child. So, by the time mother, daughter, and escort reached the gates of the Leaf Village, they were nearly ambushed by the gatekeepers. When the Kumo shinobi requested time with the Hokage, and all the right paperwork was shown, Kanna was shown to the Hokage's building.

 **ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ**

Hiruzen Sarutobi took his role as Hokage seriously. He believed in keeping peace both _within_ the village and with Konoha's connections and involvement with other nations. It was a Hokage's job to do that, right? To ensure stability for their home nation and for their neighboring ones? But one thing Hiruzen took _very_ seriously were issues his shinobi caused in other lands. Moments like those were rare, but they had a habit of popping up every once in a while. One instance, however, nearly blindsided Hiruzen. It involved one of his most skilled shinobi, Kakashi. It was no surprise the young shinobi had a reputation, both in Konoha and among other nations. He was feared for his Sharingan eye, and for the sheer quickness he could copy and overpower his enemies. Kakashi Hatake was a valued shinobi and a valued member of Konoha's ANBU Black Ops. But what Hiruzen heard about his shinobi filled him with both disappointment and mild curiosity.

Kanna Fujiwara, a citizen of Kumogakure, had traveled a great distance with her infant daughter. The young mother claimed that the child belonged to a member of Konoha's ANBU, though she couldn't say who. Kanna wove a story on how her family could not financially support the newborn. Konoha was the child's only hope. Hiruzen was willing to listen, he was also willing to give Kanna a chance. It was obvious the journey left her exhausted and desperate. She'd come so far, and being turned away was probably the last thing she wanted.

Hiruzen decided to offer Kanna temporary stay within Konoha. The only thing he wanted in turn was a blood sample from Yuri. He'd test the sample with any shinobi he knew traveled through Kumo in the last couple months. Should there be a match, Yuri would be reunited with the father and granted citizenship. _Only_ if the father allows her to live with him, though. Kanna agreed. Doctors took some blood from Yuri, and the young mother and daughter stayed in Konoha under constant supervision until any results came in. It took two weeks before a single match came in. Hiruzen was the first to be told. Afterwards, Kanna and Yuri were retrieved. In the Hokage's office, matters were discussed. Hiruzen talked about how the procedures would go down should Yuri's father accept her. He also explained the consequences should rejection occur. Kanna accepted them, but only promised that Yuri, should her father accept her, never know of her true mother. That was her only wish.

 **ヽ(ಠ_ಠ)ノ**

"You do realize why you're here today, don't you, Kakashi?" Hiruzen looked at the young man in front of him. Kakashi Hatake stood stiffly beside Kanna, refusing to look in the young mother's direction. From the moment he stepped into the room, the atmosphere thickened. Kanna held the bundle in her arms close to her, though there was a certain stiffness about her, as well.

"I can't say I am, Lord Hokage." Kakashi's response was immediate, his tone just about as stiff as his posture.

With a hum, Hiruzen leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him. "The young woman beside you is Kanna Fujiwara," he explained, "and she brought with her her two month old daughter. I believe you've met Kanna before, correct?"

There was a brief pause before Kakashi nodded. His hands curled into fists.

"Kanna requested her daughter entry to the village," Hiruzen went on, "granting the father full-custody. And of all the shinobi we've tested, your blood work was the only one that came back positive. You're this child's father, Kakashi."

There was a moment of silence. Kanna still held her daughter close to her, but she observed Kakashi out of the corner of her eyes. He seemed to have matured some since the last time they met. His face was still mostly covered, his hair still unruly and poking up. Before Yuri's birth, before even discovering she was pregnant, Kanna would have admired all of Kakashi's physical characteristics. But looking at him in that moment, with an infant in her arms, dampened any feelings the young mother had for him.*

"The Fujiwara clan is one of the wealthier clans in Kumogakure," Kakashi said. "Why would Kanna want to bring her daughter all the way here?"

Hiruzen nodded to Kanna, giving her the floor to speak.

"My family has fallen into hard times," she replied, her tone firm. "Our money is starting to run out. We won't have enough to take care of her. Sending her to Konoha seemed to be the most logical decision."

Kakashi turned to look at Kanna. She looked a bit thin, even for a woman who'd just had a baby months prior. Her reddish auburn hair was pulled back into a high-ponytail. Kanna's dark skin contrasted with the clothes she wore and her amber eyes would occasionally flicker between Kakashi and Hiruzen.

"What do you say, Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **I know it's been a ridiculously long wait for a "meh" chapter, but hopefully you guys at least tolerate it. If you've got any ideas on how to improve this chapter, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I'd love to know what you guys have to say. Constructive criticism is always important.**_

 _ **With that, nothing in the Naruto franchise belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, the subplots I put in, and complete exhaustion from finals. If you've got ideas for an OC or a subplot, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 _ **Also, how many of you are excited for the Incredibles 2? It's coming out on the fifteenth, right? That's only in a couple of days, obviously. Either way, it's hard to believe that the first movie came out in 2004. That's fourteen years ago! That's so crazy. The first movie is my absolute favorite! To me, that's one of the most iconic movies of my childhood. There's Syndrome and Edna and Frozone trying to find his super suit - that whole movie made up a big part of my childhood and I'm really hoping this sequel does well. It would suck if it flopped. I digress.**_

 _ **Leave a random fact on something you know or recently learned.**_

 _ **Au revoir, my friends,**_

 _ **Farrah Czajkowski**_


	2. Chapter 2

_"Anyway, I think it may very well be all the beautiful differences among us that might just give us the tiniest glimmer of a chance of saving my nephew, and letting me make it up to you for getting us into this crazy...whatever it is. I don't know. It's just a thought. Thank you for listening. Cheers, everyone."_

-Mr. Fox; **from Fantastic Mr. Fox** (2009)

* * *

 **Present Day**

* * *

Kakashi remembered when he saw Yuri for the first time. He remembered pondering on how small she was, how delicate she looked. He admired how Yuri had a full head of silver hair. He took note of how greatly it contrasted with her light brown skin. Kakashi took note of every little thing about Yuri. He really wanted to before he could come to any definite conclusion. But while he looked at the infant, he couldn't help but feel conflicting emotions. Kakashi was more than willing to admit Yuri was a beautiful child, but he wasn't sure whether her living with him was a good idea. Being a shinobi, especially an ANBU, was a dangerous job. Enemies would do anything to have the upper hand, no matter what it took. Shinobi were always looking for an angle, for weakness. They measure their enemies by what they can take from them. Kakashi didn't want Yuri to be his weakness, he didn't want her to die because of any form of recklessness on his part. But at the same time, she was his responsibility. He'd left the burden of a child on Kanna, and he knew he'd have to take accountability for it. Of course, Kakashi and Kanna were both young, taking care of a child at their age would be difficult, they knew that. But they had to make things work. Yuri's best interests had to be kept in mind. Deep down, though, Kakashi believed Kanna was lying about her family's financial struggles. The Fujiwara clan was very wealthy; the clan's elders helped with running Kumogakure. However, he chose not to voice his concerns. Whatever Kanna's real reasons were, they were none of Kakashi's business.

In the end, it took a great deal of time for an answer to be made. The Hokage was more than willing to wait, but Kanna was less than pleased. She was impatient, wanting an answer right away. Kakashi believed he needed a moment to really think about the intensity of the situation. How could he take care of a baby while being a successful shinobi? He'd gained a reputation not only in the Leaf Village, but in plenty of villages in the other nations. Wouldn't a sudden absence on his part be suspicious? If Kakashi were to be called on an ANBU mission, or _any_ kind of mission, who would look after Yuri? The questions swirled through his mind, leaving him feeling a wave of conflicting emotions. After some time, Kakashi decided to take Yuri in. He was hesitant about it, but he also understood nothing good would come out of him running from her again.

Kanna, on the other hand, was relieved with the answer. With the decision final and any additional paperwork done and filed away, Kakashi was given full custody of Yuri. Along with that, the infant was also given citizenship in Konoha. Kanna expressed her thanks to Hiruzen, and left with only a nod in Kakashi's direction.

That decision had been made over eleven years ago, with both Kakashi and Yuri living happily and healthily in the Leaf Village. Naturally, for the two of them, it took a lot of time to adjust to the new living arrangements. Even with Yuri being two months old, she was able to sense the difference between life with Kanna and life with her father. Kakashi, as well, had difficulties when it came to taking care of an infant. He had problems adjusting his role as a shinobi to take care of her. Being a member of the ANBU Black Ops and being a father proved to be overwhelming, so the Hokage had Kakashi take time off to _really_ take in the roll of parenthood. In a matter of months, he was able to at _least_ tend to his daughter without being so overwhelmed. There were signs of Kakashi being emotionally distant, mostly out of fear he'd be responsible for something bad happening to Yuri. That _emotional_ connection took longer to develop. By the time Yuri was over a year old, Kakashi had a good handle on fatherhood, with a growing, healthy relationship with his daughter. The Hokage allowed him to go back on missions while the child was under supervision. It brought Kakashi a great deal of comfort, knowing Yuri would be safe; but it also left him feeling uncertain. Going on missions meant he'd miss key points in her life, and it also meant he'd be _away_ from her.

But, as time went on, a more flexible schedule was developed. Kakashi tried to simmer down on how many missions he went on, wanting to spend more time with his daughter. Yuri developed a routine for whenever her father left for long periods of time. Should Kakashi be called on a weeks' long mission in some other village somewhere, it would be expected that the young girl find a trusted friend of her father's and stay with them. At the moment, the only person Yuri could go to if her father ever left was Iruka Umino. He was one of the teachers at the Academy, and while he wasn't considered a _close_ friend of Kakashi's - or even a friend at _all_ \- he was trustworthy. Yuri enjoyed his company, and Iruka enjoyed hers. Kakashi gave some ground rules on how he expected his daughter to react. He also had a set of rules for whomever was housing his daughter during his absence. The routine worked out well. It gave both father and daughter a sense of stability.

 **ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ**

"How're you feeling today, Yuri?" Iruka glanced over at the eleven year old curiously. For the last two and a half weeks, Yuri Hatake - under the Hokage's orders, all her records would have her under her father's last name - had been staying with the Academy instructor. Kakashi had been assigned a mission, one he promised to return quickly from. Of course, Yuri knew better. She knew her father was a very good shinobi, so he often got very dangerous missions. On top of that, considering his jōnin status, as well, took in three newly-graduated genin as students. Unfortunately, Kakashi had a reputation of failing every single set of genin he took on almost immediately. He never spoke of the details with Yuri herself, claiming she didn't need to worry about it. On the other hand, Kakashi always made sure his daughter understood something he considered very important: the importance of working as a team, and that people who abandon their friends are scum. Those were his most valued beliefs. He wanted to ensure Yuri understood their importance, as well.

"I'm fine, I guess," she sighed. "I'm thinking of getting some practice out of the way."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I'll be fine." Yuri tried for a smile, but she was certain it came out unconvincingly. "Besides, it'd feel like cheating if I asked you for help."

Sighing, Iruka stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to Yuri, who was sitting on his sofa. He'd spent a good amount of time grading work from his students while the eleven year old aimlessly flipped through a book. Iruka had to admit, though, that Yuri took after her father when it came to reading. Thankfully it had nothing to do with that _Icha_ _Icha_ series. Yuri always told Iruka that her father refused to even let her _ask_ about the book, even assuring him further that she had no interest in it whatsoever. Regardless of her literature interests, however, that didn't excuse how she was currently feeling. Iruka cared for her, he wanted what was best for her. He'd spent enough time with her over the years to make that conclusion.

"Yuri, what's going on?" Kneeling in front of her, Iruka looked at her as he waited for an answer.

"It's nothing," she muttered. "I don't want you to get all worried."

"I'm going to _keep_ worrying if you don't tell me."

Looking down at her hands, Yuri sighed. She felt a bit ridiculous, trying to hide anything from Iruka. He'd usually find out eventually. "What if...," Yuri mumbled. "What if there's a mission father doesn't come home from?"

There was a long pause. The question was very quiet, showing enough vulnerability to make Iruka sympathize with her. The thought of losing parents was always a hard one. Growing up with shinobi parents, Iruka knew the dangers they faced daily. It wasn't until after they died he truly understood what real pain felt like. But he used that pain to grow, to become better. Kakashi was the only parent in Yuri's life. If something happened to _him_ , she'd have no living family members left. At least in Konoha. In Kumogakure, Yuri had plenty of living family. The only problem was none of them wanted her. The truth about her maternal family was kept a secret, with only a few people knowing it. But Yuri was still singled out in the village. People treated her differently because of her appearance, because those who did remember seeing her mother recall her being a foreigner. Iruka couldn't help but find that unfair. In Yuri's case, she had no control over her parentage. And since she started living with Kakashi, things only seemed to be more complicated. There was constant talk over how young Kakashi had been around the time of his daughter's birth. People ridiculed the small family. Kakashi was able to overlook the villager's reactions, but Yuri took it personally.

Kakashi's seemingly natural indifference to things was apparently one thing Yuri didn't inherit from him. He tried multiple times to assure her not to worry about what other people had to say, but she only grew better at masking it. Yuri wanted to have the kind of indifference her father had, but she just didn't have it in her. It frustrated her, evidently. Her father was her idol, she wanted nothing more than to be like him.

"You know Kakashi is a very skilled shinobi," Iruka said, placing a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "He can handle whatever trick the enemy will throw at him. Don't worry, okay?"

"I know he's really good at what he does," Yuri said, refusing to meet Iruka's eyes, "but that doesn't mean something won't happen."

"Listen to me, okay? Nothing will happen to your father. Not only is one of the best we have in the village, but he'll always come home to you. You're his pride and joy."

Looking up, Yuri's amber eyes had just a _glimmer_ of hope in them. The thought of her father dying in battle had crossed her mind from time to time; _especially_ on the big missions he'd accept. Yuri tried not to let them bother her, but those thoughts were so overwhelming.

"Trust me," Iruka went on, "he'll be back in no time. Maybe he'll even help you with your practicing."

"You think?" Yuri asked.

Giving a firm nod, Iruka smiled. "Besides, you'll need a lot of it," he exclaimed, standing up. "There's going to be a test coming up."

With a groan, Yuri slumped back into the sofa. "You're the worst," she grumbled. She only got a chuckle in response.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 ** _First, I'd like to apologize on how long it took for this chapter to get uploaded. Secondly, I'd like to apologize on how poorly written it is. I'm kind of getting a bit of writer's block, so that could be one of the reasons why it turned out the way it did. I just finished my last college final yesterday, so I'm still trying to recover from that. I don't know if finals is a good excuse for a poorly written chapter, but I'm rolling with it! Regardless, leave some constructive criticism where you think it's due, okay? That kind of thing is important. It'll help me as a writer to not only improve my writing skills but to improve the story._**

 ** _With that, nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplot, and the bamboo plants in my room. If you've got ideas for an OC or a subplot, PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible._**

 ** _With that, I'll wrap this up!_**

 ** _Leave a random fact, if you want. It could be about something you've learned recently or something you found fascinating._**

 ** _Au revoir, my friends,_**

 ** _Farrah Czajkowski_**


	3. Chapter 3

_"You know, I'm 1500 years old. I've killed twice as many enemies as that. And every single one of them would have rather killed me than not succeeded. I'm only alive because fate wants me alive. Thanos is just the latest of a long line of bastards, and he'll be the latest to feel my vengeance - fate wills it so."_

-Thor Odinson; **from Avengers: Infinity War** (2018)

* * *

Yuri had been pretty young when she expressed interest in becoming a kunoichi. She was probably around five years old, and her declaration alone was enough to give Kakashi a heart attack. He knew that his career as a shinobi probably influenced her, but he didn't think Yuri would show interest so soon. He wanted her to wait a little, to enjoy her childhood while she could. For Kakashi, he felt as though his childhood had been robbed, though he'd never tell anyone that. After all, he was a member of the Hatake clan, they were known for being skilled shinobi. Kakashi's father was Sakumo, the famed White Fang. In the shinobi world, the White Fang was admired, feared, and hated by many. His prowess as a ninja was legendary for a number of reasons. For Kakashi, he grew up being called a prodigy. Sure, he was smart and advanced quickly, but he wasn't too bothered by any of it. He took his shinobi career seriously, but not peoples' interest in him. In Yuri's case, Kakashi didn't want to expose her to the life right away. He'd teach her basic fighting techniques, just to be on the safe side, but he didn't want her to be overly exposed. He wanted his daughter to be able to choose for herself what she wanted. To Kakashi, that was something he considered important. If Yuri wanted to be a kunoichi, then he'd let her try it out. If she wanted to be an average civilian, then he'd be more than happy in those regards. But as he heard Yuri's declaration, hearing that she wanted to be a kunoichi at such a young age, it did break his heart a little. Though he did accept what she said, saying that he'd enroll her in the Academy as soon as possible.

Once Yuri was enrolled in the Academy, she was tested and placed in a class. She proved to be intelligent, not as highly as her father had been at her age, but still impressively so. Kakashi had always expressed interest in what his daughter was being taught. He'd ask Yuri how her day went and what she learned, and she'd always tell him with such enthusiasm. She was excited that she was starting her path to becoming a kunoichi. Kakashi did admire his daughter's enthusiasm, but he had to wonder how long it'd last. The shinobi life had a tendency of getting dark fast, so he'd have to remind himself to enjoy her excitement while it was there.

As time went on, Yuri started to advance at a quicker rate than her other classmates. Again, she didn't share the same level of high intelligence her father had when he was in the Academy, but she was able to learn quicker. She was very visual, and was able to recreate hand signs with little to no problems after seeing it once or twice. When it came to written work, Yuri was at the top of her class. She'd score high on exams and did well on any homework assigned. Not only was Kakashi impressed by his daughter's academic success, but so was Iruka. Both men started to see Yuri as a very capable kunoichi, though Kakashi still found himself a bit hesitant. He didn't want to deal with the thought of his daughter getting injured on missions. That was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. But none of that compared to the thought of Yuri dying on a mission. Kakashi had lost so much in his life - from his father to his teacher to his best friends, the thought of his only child dying was something he couldn't handle. Yuri became his whole world, and he wanted to do what was right for her. But at the same time, he knew he couldn't protect her from everything. Kakashi had to be reasonable, too. Yuri couldn't be shielded from all the horrors in the world; no matter how hard her father tried.

For Yuri, as she got older, she came to her own conclusions as to why she chose to become a kunoichi. One of the main reasons was being inspired by Kakashi. She admired him, thinking his reputation as a successful shinobi was impressive. Yuri wanted to be like him, to have that success in the shinobi world. Another reason she chose to become a kunoichi was because she wanted to test herself. She wanted to see how far she could push her body, what kinds of moves she could learn. Attending the Academy could definitely help with developing the necessary skills for that. Not only that, but Kakashi's willingness to teach Yuri basic fighting skills could help her as she got older. Maybe he'd be willing to teach her more in the coming years. Of course, Yuri never told her father those reasons. She was a little embarrassed to admit that to him. And while he did allow her to attend the Academy, she did see a bit of hesitation from him. Kakashi was nervous, he didn't seem all that comfortable allowing his only daughter to become a kunoichi. So, that could be another reason why she chose to be one. She'd have to prove to her father that she'd become strong and capable of taking care of herself.

 **(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ**

For the past half hour, Yuri had been practicing her clone jutsu. It was one of the easiest justus to learn, but that didn't mean practice wasn't necessary. If she wanted to keep at the top of her class, then Yuri would have to keep practicing and studying. That was her motto. And while she did her best to make sure she didn't interrupt Iruka's grading, she couldn't help but notice him glancing over whenever a clone did appear. There was a bit of curiosity on his face, as well as another emotion she couldn't quite identify. After Yuri's latest clone disappeared, however, that was when Iruka chose to speak.

"If you keep doing that, you'll wear yourself out," he said. "You're still inexperienced in chakra control. If you use too much on a single jutsu, you'll tire yourself out."

Iruka's advice seemed to be true. Using the clone jutsu so many times had Yuri out of breath and a bit exhausted. She wanted to make sure she had the technique down, should the exam at the Academy be on clones.

"Yeah, you're right," Yuri sighed, brushing some hair out of her face.

"Why don't you study your notes?" Iruka suggested, turning his attention back to his grading. "It'd be good to be prepared for that exam."

Nodding, Yuri got up and was about to go into the room Iruka set aside for her when a knock came from the front door. There was a moment of tense silence for a moment before the two looked at each other.

"Do you want me to get it?" Yuri asked.

Shaking his head, Iruka stood and walked over. Patting Yuri on the back, he motioned for her to go to her room. When she did, she heard the front door open and Iruka let out a sigh. "It's your father, Yuri," he called.

Letting out a relieved sigh, the eleven year old took out her overnight bag and filled it with all her things. It was definitely going to be a bit odd at first, going back home. Yuri got so used to spending time in the little room at Iruka's place, it felt like going back to her actual home would be a bit foreign. When she was about halfway through packing, though, there was a knock on the door. Turning, she saw Kakashi standing there. He was still wearing the same outfit he left with - flak jacket, dark blue pants and shirt, and all. He even had his mask still over his face.

"I'm almost done packing," Yuri said, giving her father a small smile.

"Do you need any help?" Kakashi asked.

"No, thanks." Once she had everything gathered in her overnight bag, Yuri slung it over her shoulder as she stood up. "How're you feeling?"

"A bit tired, but fine."

"I imagine," she said. "Two and a half weeks is a long time for a mission."

"Well, you'll be able to experience it once you become a ninja."

With another small smile and a determined nod, Yuri and Kakashi walked out of the bedroom. Iruka was still standing near the front door, his arms crossed over his chest. When he saw father and daughter coming out, he gave a nod to Kakashi and a smile to Yuri.

"I'll see you in class tomorrow," Iruka said, rustling the hair on Yuri's head. "And remember to study."

With a chuckle, the eleven year old nodded. "Thank you for letting me stay here for so long," she said.

"It's no problem, really."

"Iruka," Kakashi said, "I appreciate you letting my daughter stay here while I'm away. I'll be sure to repay you..."

"You don't have to worry about repaying me," Iruka said, his tone becoming more serious. "She's a very sweet girl. I enjoy having her around."

With a nod, Kakashi placed a hand on Yuri's back as they left the apartment.

 **(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ**

"How'd the mission go?" Yuri asked. She and Kakashi were walking to their apartment building. It wasn't that far from where Iruka's was, at least a block or two away. But Yuri was keeping in mind that her father was probably injured on top of being tired. Of course, he'd never openly tell her about any injuries he sustained; he didn't think it was right to expose her to that. So the duo were walking a bit slower than usual.

"It went well," Kakashi said. "It was successful, which is important."

Yuri nodded in response.

"How was your stay with Iruka?" Kakashi asked. "Was there any trouble?"

"No. Everything was fine." The eleven year old shrugged her shoulders. "We did some shopping, he graded some homework. I was going to start studying before you came back."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Iruka-sensei said there's an exam coming up. I wanted to be prepared."

"Well, if you need any help, I'm here."

"I know, father," Yuri said, smiling up at him. "But I think it's best if you rest for now. I don't want to make you work after coming back from a mission."

Kakashi only hummed in response. He had to admire his daughter's compassion. He wasn't sure where she would've gotten it from, but it was a heartwarming quality to have. Maybe Yuri's compassion worked well in balancing her father's apathy. It was hard to tell. Regardless of where she got that trait from, it was one Kakashi was willing to appreciate.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **What do you guys think? Hopefully the story's getting more interesting. If you've got constructive criticism, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I won't know how to improve my writing or the story if I don't know what's wrong with it.**_

 _ **Nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the laptop I'm currently typing on. If you've got ideas for an OC or a subplot, PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 ** _Be sure to leave a random fact on anything you've recently learned! Or it could be on something you've known for a while._**

 ** _Au revoir, my friends,_**

 ** _Farrah Czajkowski_**


	4. Chapter 4

_"And when everyone's super, no one will be."_

-Syndrome; **from The Incredibles** (2004)

* * *

"If you want, I can make you dinner." Yuri, as she walked into the apartment she shared with her father, looked up at him expectantly. Cooking for him was not an uncommon occurrence. The two main reasons she'd _ever_ make a meal for Kakashi would be because he returned from a mission and was tired; or he was feeling a tad lazy and didn't feel like cooking himself. Other than that, he tried to stay on top of that task. But, since it was so late in the night and he'd returned from such a long mission, Kakashi was feeling more exhausted than anything. He knew Yuri meant well with her request, though, and he appreciated it nonetheless.

"I think I'm good for tonight," he chuckled. "Why don't we get some rest? It's pretty late and you have class tomorrow."

With a sigh, Yuri nodded. Kakashi had a point. While she didn't have to deal with the aftermath of a possibly _grueling_ mission, she was tired to an extent. Practicing her clone jutsu tired her out, and the initial happiness she felt for her father's return wore her out even further. Yuri was more than willing to accept sleep. "Do you need me to get you anything?" she asked, looking at her father one last time before heading to her bedroom. "Water? Medicine?"

Shaking his head, Kakashi rustled his daughter's head with a hint of a smile on his face. While he knew Yuri couldn't see his face under the mask, he knew she could tell he was smiling. "Don't worry about me," he said. "I'll be fine. Go to bed. I want you up bright and early for class tomorrow. Okay?"

Rolling her eyes playfully, Yuri nodded. She wasn't going to push Kakashi any further. If he really needed the help, he'd ask for it. Which was extremely rare. But Yuri felt she could let her father take care of himself for one night. Whatever he didn't get to she'd handle in the morning.

 **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

Kakashi watched as his daughter went into her bedroom and closed the door. Once the door clicked shut, he let out a sigh. He stood in the center of the apartment's living room, his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. Kakashi was _extremely_ exhausted. Having to spend two and a half weeks in another village, gathering intel and taking down enemies, was intense, not only physically but mentally. There were so many things about being a shinobi that weighed heavily on the mind. There were so many things in Kakashi's shinobi career that left him feeling overwhelming amounts of stress and negativity. When he'd been in the Academy, the first kind of mental stress he encountered was encountering the body of his father. Sakumo's suicide was widely talked about in the village; and it only made Kakashi's mental state swirl even more downhill. The other kind of stress he'd gone through were the deaths of Obito, Rin, and Minato. While the deaths happened separately, it still effected him greatly. The Third Shinobi World War took Obito too soon. It was because of the young Uchiha's death that Kakashi got his Sharingan eye. Rin's death during her attempted rescue mission had been the most devastating. Kirigakure shinobi had abducted her, and Kakashi went to rescue her. He ended up killing her accidentally. That broke him mentally.* And Minato - Konoha's Yellow Flash and Fourth Hokage. It had been years after the war, after Obito's and Rin's deaths. Kakashi remembered the day perfectly. The Nine-Tails had appeared in the village. All the young shinobi and kunoichi were gathered and sent to a safe place while the more experienced ninja fought.

Countless lives were lost that day. Minato had been among those who died; along with his wife, Kushina. Kakashi had been devastated. His old teacher, the only person left from the days of Team Minato, had died. Senselessly slaughtered by a tailed-beast. Then came the news of an infant, a young boy who had been born around the time of the Nine-Tails' attack. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, took the boy to stay in the village's orphanage. He claimed that the boy had been left parentless from the attack, and needed a safe place to grow. But for some unknown reason, the villagers started to hate that boy. They viewed him responsible for the attack, for the deaths of so many innocent lives. No one could give a reasonable explanation as to _why_ they believed an infant was somehow responsible, but they kept at the claims that he was. Maybe the boy was the Nine-Tails in disguise as a human. Who knows? Tailed-beasts were manipulative; they could do what they wanted, with all that power they had. No one had any proof, though. Kakashi, on the other hand, didn't think an infant was in any way responsible for what happened that night. He couldn't figure out how or why the Nine-Tails attacked that night, but he had a bad feeling the entire time. Kakashi knew Kushina had been the jinchuuriki for the beast, and that he'd been assigned to watch over her during her pregnancy. He knew that childbirth was a key factor in a jinchuuriki's seal weakening. But the village took matters like that seriously. Why would anyone allow the seal to break and the Nine-Tails to attack so suddenly? It didn't make sense, but Kakashi chose not to pursue it further. There was no way for him to know what happened that night. So he left it alone. It was better that way.

Evidently, years of shinobi work started to have its effects on Kakashi. He developed a small degree of cynicism, despite his lazy demeanor. He became very apathetic, and had no problem speaking bluntly about certain topics. That was how Kakashi turned out. Some, he was sure, of those characteristics came from his childhood, but it didn't seem to matter in the end.

Sitting down on his sofa, Kakashi let out a sigh. After the successful completion of his mission, he'd be allowed time off for a little while before his next one. Lord Third said it'd be best for Kakashi to heal first before being thrown into anything else. The only kinds of injuries he sustained during the mission, however, were superficial wounds. A few cuts here and there; maybe a bruise, too, but nothing too serious. It was possible the Hokage wanted Kakashi to spend some time with Yuri, as well. Naturally, spending time with the eleven year old wasn't an issue. However long Kakashi's break period was would be perfect to reconnect with all the things he'd missed in his daughter's life. Two and a half weeks may not seem like a long time, but it certainly was for Kakashi. So he'll have plenty of chances in the morning to try and catch up on everything he's missed.

 **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

When Yuri got to bed, she let out a sigh. While she was happy to finally have her father back from a mission, she couldn't help but wonder when he'd be assigned a next one. On many occasions, Kakashi would be sent from one mission to the next, not even having the chance to fully relax or regather himself. For Yuri, she was always frustrated with that. She understood that her father was a very good shinobi, and that he was more than capable of handling enemies and completing missions, but she felt as though she was being robbed of him sometimes. Kakashi was her only parental figure, and while she knew she couldn't do anything to stop him from going on his assignments, she wanted to at least _have_ him around for longer periods than a couple weeks. She chose not to complain, though, because she didn't want to be seen as childish or selfish. She had no power over her father's career. She couldn't go up to the Hokage and demand him to stop sending Kakashi on missions. That would be ridiculous. But she hoped that, one day, she'd be able to actually sit down and _be_ with her father without worrying about missions.

 _That's what being a shinobi is all about,_ she thought. _You get missions and you're gone for long periods of time. It sucks when father has to leave, but that's the kind of life ninja have._

With a scoff, Yuri turned on her side, scowling at her night lamp. She felt embarrassed for thinking that way. She _was_ being childish, thinking that the time she wanted to spend with her father was more important than his missions. Even though it hurt to see him leave, he was doing what he needed to do for her and the village. Being a ninja meant sacrifice. It may hurt, but it was necessary.

 _Once you graduate the Academy and move up the ranks,_ Yuri thought, _you'll be sent on long missions, too. Just learn to live with it, okay? You don't get decisions in the shinobi world. Everything you do is to ensure everyone else's safety._

After that thought, Yuri reached over and turned off her lamp. She had to make herself go to sleep, or she'd drive herself crazy with all her overthinking.

 **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

By the time the next morning rolled around, Yuri groaned when she heard knocking on her bedroom door. She'd hoped her father wouldn't wake her up, but he was an early bird when it mattered. And when it came to his daughter going to the Academy, then he'd wake up as early as he physically could to make sure she got there on time. Which Yuri found hilarious, considering Kakashi was always late for everything.

"Yuri, I made you breakfast," Kakashi called, "besides, if you don't get up now, you'll be late."

"Can't I sleep for five more minutes?" she grumbled.

"No. Hurry up."

With one last, dramatic groan, Yuri forced herself out of bed. Changing into clean clothes, she chose to pull her hair into a ponytail rather than brush it. Once she left her bedroom, she shuffled into the kitchen and saw Kakashi sitting at the table, eating his food. Yuri seeing her father without his mask was fairly common, something he didn't do too often. While the need to keep his face hidden was a bit odd, it was something the eleven yea old never questioned.

"You'd better hurry and eat if you want to make it to class on time," Kakashi said, giving his daughter a stern expression.

"That's rich coming from you."

"I don't understand how you're not a morning person."

"It's too early to function."

"You'd better get used to it," Kakashi said, stuffing his mouth with food. "Once you're done at the Academy, you'll be assigned a team. They don't care how early you wake up if there's assignments to complete."

Scowling, Yuri started eating the eggs her father cooked. She knew he had a point, but she was too tired to really care. Yuri hated mornings. She especially hated waking up early to get to class on time. She knew Iruka didn't like it when students came in late, and she did her best to never even make it a _minute_ late. But maybe she could have that chance for once. Maybe.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **Not the best chapter, I'm sure. I started writing it at 2 in the morning, so if anything about it doesn't make sense, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? So, in other words, give constructive criticism. Tell me what confuses you, tell me how to improve this. It would mean the world to me if you guys told me these kinds of things.**_

 _ **Nothing in the Naruto fandom belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the shoes I wear to work. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 _ **How many of you guys have seen The Incredibles 2? I saw it the day it came out and I love it! I was kind of worried that it wouldn't be that good, considering sequels to popular/iconic movies always seem to suck. But I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Though the first Incredibles will always be my favorite one, I did really enjoy the sequel. If you guys saw it, tell me what you thought!**_

 _ **Be sure to leave a random fact in the reviews! It could be something you've learned recently, or something you've known for a long time.**_

 _ **Au revoir, my friends,**_

 _ **Farrah Czajkowski***_


	5. Chapter 5

_Just a young gun with a quick fuse_  
 _I was uptight, wanna let loose_  
 _I was dreaming of bigger things_  
 _And wanna leave my own life behind_  
 _Not a yes sir, not a follower_  
 _Fit the box, fit the mold_  
 _Have a seat in the foyer, take a number_  
 _I was lightning before the thunder_

-Thunder; **from Imagine Dragons**

* * *

Yuri always walked to the Academy. To her, she not only found it peaceful, but intriguing. Walking to the Academy meant she'd be able to see Konoha's morning routine. People opening their businesses; families starting their days; shinobi and kunoichi preparing themselves for a long day. In Yuri's eyes, she couldn't help but find everything Konoha did fascinating. Every single person within the village had their own lives, their own patterns. People were living happily. They were experiencing the life they wanted. That was where the peacefulness came in. For Yuri, she found contentment knowing that people in the village were so comfortable with each other. They seemed happy to help each other out when necessary. Naturally, there were always problems that arose, but they were always resolved in some way. Yuri enjoyed how mundane everything in Konoha seemed to be. But, on one particular morning, the eleven year old didn't get to enjoy her daily routine. Sure, she got to walk to the Academy, but instead of going alone, she was accompanied by Kakashi.

At eleven years old, Yuri believed she was more than capable of walking herself to the Academy. Kakashi hadn't accompanied her since she was very little, since the early days of her ninja journey. Yuri didn't want to seem ungrateful, she didn't want to blow her father off in any way. She was just curious and a bit suspicious as to why he chose to walk with her all of a sudden. He'd told her plenty of times he had no problem with her walking to class by herself once she was old enough. So what was with the change? Looking over at him, Yuri felt her lips purse. Kakashi was reading one of his _Icha_ _Icha_ books. His fascination with the series was a bit weird, to say the least. From what the eleven year old could understand, it was an adult book with graphic themes. So having to see her father read in front of her made her a bit uncomfortable. Of course, it's not like her voicing her discomfort would stop him from reading it somehow. In fact, for as long as Yuri could remember, Kakashi always had one of those books in hand. It was like an odd addiction of his.

"Is there something wrong?" Lowering his book a little, Kakashi put his attention to his daughter. She'd been burning a hole in his head with the intensity of her stare. He tried ignoring it, but it was hard to do.

"Why're you walking me to class today?" Yuri asked.* "You haven't done that in a long time."

"I thought it'd be nice to try and reconnect with you." Kakashi glanced down at her. "I feel as though I've missed a lot in these past weeks."

"Well you've been reading that book the whole time, so I don't know how this counts as _reconnecting_."

The book was snapped close and immediately lowered. "Sorry," he sighed. "I didn't think about it."

"It's not a big deal, really." Yuri shrugged. "But I can't understand your interest in those books."

"It's a hobby."

"Have you ever considered getting a _new_ one?"

"Highly unlikely," Kakashi responded.

"Healthy changes in the life," Yuri said, "it's never too late to look into them."

"I thought I was here to reconnect with you?"

"It's only been two and a half weeks, father," Yuri chuckled. "You haven't missed much."

Shrugging, Kakashi glanced down at his daughter, taking in her appearance. Yuri's hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. The one thing he could never get over was how his daughter inherited his silver hair and had that light tan skin. It made her stand out so much. But Kakashi had to admit, there was a natural beauty about Yuri. Part of him dreaded when she got older and boys started noticing her. It would definitely be a rough time for him.

"Is there something wrong?" Yuri asked, looking up at him. "You're looking at me."

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"How proud I am on what you're doing."

Smiling, the eleven year old nodded enthusiastically. Kakashi, at the best of times, wasn't one to really go in-depth when it came to speaking about his emotions. He was a pretty reserved guy. For Yuri, though, she found any praise from him to be exciting. She looked up to him so much, the last thing she wanted was to disappoint him in any way.

"I'm hoping to pass the final exam," Yuri said. "Then I'll be put in a team, right? With a jōnin?"

Kakashi nodded in response. "Every genin team has an instructor who's a jōnin," he explained. "They'll be in charge of a three person squad. But you won't know who you'll be with until you've passed the final exam."

"I'm honestly a little scared about it. What if I get put into a bad team?"

"That won't be a problem."

"What do you mean?" Yuri looked up at her father confusedly.

"The jōnin in this village are good in their own right," Kakashi explained. "I have _some_ confidence that they'll be able to handle a genin team."

"I heard Lord Third brought in a new one from Kirigakure."

"Did Iruka tell you?" Kakashi said.

"He mentioned it once," Yuri responded. "Unless I'm not supposed to know that."

With a sigh, Kakashi nodded. "Lord Hokage did bring a Kiri shinobi in," he admitted. "She wanted to provide her services here, so he let her."

Yuri nodded. She took the time to think over what her father had said. She knew that, on occasion, Konoha allowed people from other nations to emigrate to the Land of Fire. It wasn't a very common occurrence, but it happened. And the public reaction also depended on where the people came from. Which put a thought into Yuri's head.

"I have a question," she said.

"About what?" Kakashi asked.

"About me...and mom."

The air quickly changed. Yuri immediately picked up on it. No one ever really spoke about her biological mother. It was almost taboo to do so. Though Yuri did, on occasion, hear some villagers say her mother was a foreigner. Others said her mother was a spy, using her own daughter as a means of infiltration. For Yuri, she wasn't sure how to handle any of that.

"You know it's a difficult topic, Yuri," Kakashi sighed.

"I've heard people say she's a foreigner," Yuri said. "Which would explain why I look so different compared to everyone else. But I don't know anything on my own mother. I always thought I'd know at least a _little_ on her."

"Like I said, it's a difficult topic."

"What's so _difficult_ about it?" Yuri looked up at her father angrily. For as long as she could remember, there was a lingering emptiness that could only be filled _by_ her mother. But no one ever talked about it. Yuri wanted to know why her mother was absent her whole life. She wanted to know what the big secret was. "I've heard she's a foreigner, or she's a _spy_ and just using me for...," she cried. "I see other kids with _their_ mothers and I feel jealous. I don't know what it's like to have a mom. And no one is ever telling me _any_ thing on her."

"That's _enough_."

The sharpness in Kakashi's voice caused Yuri to stop in her tracks. The steadily growing anger and frustration was starting to express themselves as tears. That was how the eleven year old outwardly showed those emotions, once they got intense enough. It was something she absolutely hated; crying when angered or frustrated. But in the case of her mother, she felt it was at least a _little_ justifiable to cry.

Shaking her head, Yuri wiped her eyes and sniffled, trying to pull herself together. She was already so close to the Academy. She couldn't be seen _crying_.

"Yuri, I know _exactly_ what it feels like to grow up without a mother," Kakashi said, his tone firm, "but there's no easy way to explain why yours is absent."

"Don't even worry about it," Yuri muttered, stomping in the direction of the Academy. "If I can't even know who my own mother is, why even bother talking about her?"

 **ಠ益ಠ**

For Yuri, she found herself trying her hardest to compose herself. She wasn't one to cry often, and if she was seen teary-eyed near the Academy, questions would be asked. Many of the students, and maybe even some of the instructors, were particularly nosy. If they saw someone like _Yuri_ trying to stop the tears from flowing, they'd come flocking around, wide-eyed and whispering their own theories. In the young girl's defense, however, it's not like she was completely void of emotions while at the Academy, it's just she was more reserved. She went to class, did her work, and went home. It was a simple, predictable, routine.

Once she found herself on the Academy's property, Yuri wiped her eyes one last time. Taking a deep breath, she let it out shakily. She had to keep herself composed; that was important.

"You okay?" The sound of a boy's voice snapped Yuri out of her internal struggle. Whipping her head around, she felt surprise wash over her. It was Naruto. He was known throughout the entire village for being a troublemaker. Naruto always pulled pranks on _every_ one. He'd vandalize anything he could get his hands on, his favorite being Hokage Rock. Yuri saw the aftermath of some of Naruto's pranks and vandalism; she wasn't really impressed by any of it. She found it all to be extremely childish and obnoxious.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Yuri grumbled, avoiding Naruto's gaze. It was a little hard, though, considering the blonde was doing everything in his power to get a look at her face. Yuri had to admit, though, he did have incredibly blue eyes.

"You don't _look_ fine," he exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why do you even care?"

Naruto's eyes widened a little, his jaw setting. "I don't think it's right for people to start their days upset," he said, with the utmost seriousness. "If you start your day upset, you feel like it's getting worse throughout the day." Shrugging, he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "I'm just concerned for you, is all," he sighed.

Glancing over at him, Yuri took a moment to really study Naruto. His blue eyes were cast downward, his spiky blonde hair poking out from the goggles on top of his head. He wore his signature orange outfit, with what looked like a pout on his face. The one thing Yuri found the most interesting about Naruto were the three whisker marks on his cheeks.

"Thank you for your concern," she said quietly. She looked away, watching her hands as she fiddled with them uncomfortably.

There was a brief wave of excitement and happiness that came from Naruto. "No problem," he exclaimed. "Let's get to class, okay? Iruka-sensei'll have my head if I'm late again!"

With a soft chuckle, Yuri followed Naruto inside.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but here it is! Hopefully you guys find it at least decent. If you see anything that could use improvement, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? Constructive criticism is always important.**_

 _ **Nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplot(s), and the socks on my feet. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplot(s), you can either leave a review or PM me. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 _ **Also, just so you guys have a head's up, I'll be starting summer classes in July. I know my updates are kind of random, but just in case you're wondering why I haven't posted chapters from July to August, you'll know why. So that's a little forewarning for you guys, okay?**_

haelyeon: _If I'm being completely honest right now, your review is exactly what I needed. While I do appreciate all the other reviews I've gotten for the story, yours had the most constructive criticism. You gave really good points, you explained each point clearly, and I understand how I can improve my writing for future updates. Hopefully I hear from you again, my friend. I really needed your review, and it's helping me figure out the rest of my story, which is awesome. So thank you so, so much._

Guests: _If you're two separate people, thank you both so much for your reviews. If you're a single person, I am so grateful for the reviews you've left. Either way, I hope to hear from you (guys) in the near future._

Flame13H: _I'm hoping I can do this story justice, too, my friend. I'm still working out a lot of details for future chapters. I'm praying they come out well._

hatakecopynin: _To answer your question: yes, Yuri is in the same class as Naruto and the gang. She's a little younger than, probably, all of them, though._

destiny590: _Thank you so, so much. I hope to hear from you again, my friend._

Prescripto13: _I'm glad my take on father!Kakashi has you curious. I don't know if I'm doing a good job, or if I'm completely ruining his character, to be honest. I know it's too soon to tell, but I think I can do a lot better when it comes to father!Kakashi. I actually haven't seen the Boruto anime or read the manga. After the last Naruto movie, I stopped watching it. The thought of a newer generation was something I'm still struggling getting accustomed to. If that makes sense._

 _ **On that note, I'll wrap up this author's note.**_

 _ **Au revoir, my friends,**_

 ** _Farrah Czajkowski_**


	6. Chapter 6

_I feel it coming out my throat_  
 _Guess I better wash my mouth out with soap_  
 _God, I wish I never spoke_  
 _Now I gotta wash my mouth out with soap_

-Soap; **by Melanie Martinez**

* * *

"I don't think we've ever talked before." Yuri looked over at Naruto, her brows furrowing in curiosity. It was true; she'd never talked to him during or outside of class. In the eleven year old's mind, she was just being cautious. Yuri heard plenty of stories of Naruto Uzumaki, and nearly all of them painted him in a bad light. Naturally, he was a troublemaker, that was how he gained so much attention from the village, albeit negative attention. But there was a deeper, more hate-filled vibe the villagers had when it came to Naruto. Yuri couldn't understand it, mostly because no one had a proper explanation as to _why_ he was treated so badly. Not even Kakashi could give her a proper explanation.

"Nah," Naruto responded, nodding his head in agreement. "Most people don't talk to me if they can help it."

"I just don't understand why you felt compelled to talk to me earlier," Yuri sighed. "We don't even _know_ each other and you wanted to help me."

"You've always seemed really cool." The sincerity in Naruto's words struck a chord in the eleven year old's chest. He'd never made any attempts to talk to her earlier, or even do anything to show he was interested in getting to know her. Yuri had to keep in mind she always kept a safe distance from Naruto, wanting to be as cautious around him as possible. Maybe it was her behavior towards him that kept him from approaching her. "Whenever I'd try talking to anyone, they'd brush me off or get upset," Naruto went on. "I didn't know how you'd react to me, I guess."

"It wouldn't have mattered to me if you talked to me," Yuri said. "You haven't done anything to me to make me not like you or anything."

There was a long pause, something that seemed rather unnatural for Naruto. He was known for being extremely vocal. He had something to say for everything, and if he was in _any_ way rendered speechless, it must have been from very moving.

When Yuri looked over at Naruto, she could see a serious look on his face. His blue eyes seemed distant, his shoulders slumped a little and his jaw set. Letting out a soft sigh, Yuri didn't say anything else after that.

 **(ʘ‿ʘ)ノ✿**

Class was, for lack of a better word, the same. Iruka went over some of the materials that the class learned previously, allowing the students the opportunity to remember everything they've learned thus far. For Yuri, while she found the information helpful, she was also bored by it. She understood the materials very well, and she didn't really care to relearn it in any other form if she understood it. So as Iruka continued to go on about some of the things they've learned, Yuri found herself spacing out a little. Her eyes wandered around the classroom, studying some of her classmates. She had a wide variety of kids in her class, some of whom had big reputations already. There was Sasuke Uchiha, the last of his clan and the smartest kid in the Academy. He was even better than Yuri, and she liked to pride herself, somewhat, in her intelligence. Unfortunately, the entire female student population seemed to have a massive crush on Sasuke, something that Yuri just couldn't understand. Sure, he was distant and mysterious, but he was always brooding and cold to everyone. Next there was Fumika and Hinata Hyūga. Yuri knew they were related in some way, but she wasn't entirely sure about them. Apparently their clan was powerful, said to have been around since before the village's formation. Or something like that, she wasn't entirely sure.

"Yuri, are you paying attention?" Iruka's voice snapped the eleven year old out of her thoughts. Her eyes snapped over to meet her instructor's, a sense of dread filling her.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," she grumbled, "sorry."

Whispers filled the classroom, causing Yuri to slump forward where she sat. It was rare for her to be called out for anything during instruction, so there was a level of humiliation that came with it.

"What was I explaining, then?" The question made Yuri want to disappear altogether. She knew he was discussing something on ninjutsu, and looking at the writing on the chalkboard, it looked to be about Transformation.

"Transformation?" she said, a level of uncertainty in her tone.

A long pause came across the class, becoming heavier with each passing second. "Yes," Iruka concluded. "Okay, class, you'll be practicing your taijutsu. Now we're going on a break."

The clatter of the students drowned out whatever Iruka was saying next. A sense of relief washed over Yuri at that, and she found herself standing up with her classmates. But before she could head out of the classroom, she heard her name being called. Turning her head, she frowned at the sight of Hisahito. He was a member of the Senju clan, and relatively popular. But he was also a huge jerk at the best of times. Yuri never talked to him herself, and she was fine with that. Neither of them had any interest in getting to know each other.

"What do you want?" Yuri asked, sounding annoyed.

With a hint of a smirk, Hisahito crossed his arms over his chest as he stood in front of her. "I don't think I've ever heard Iruka-sensei call you out before," he exclaimed. "Don't tell me the daughter of _Kakashi_ _Hatake_ is starting to fall behind?"

"Are you going anywhere with this?" Yuri sighed. "I'd like to take my break now."

A look of annoyance came across Hisahito's face. "Why the hell are you even here anyway?" he snapped. "You're just a foreigner. We all know your mother was one, so that makes _you_ one, too!"

There it was again. The mention of her mother being a foreigner. It was something that she just couldn't understand. Why were the people of Konoha so set on where Yuri's mother came from? Why did it matter? And why would Hisahito claim that Yuri herself was a foreigner? As far as she was concerned, she was born in Konoha. That _had_ to be true, right? She wasn't born anywhere else. At least, that was what Yuri believed. No one told her otherwise. It was a little overwhelming to think about.

"Is there a problem?" Iruka appeared behind Hisahito, glaring down at the boy. Yuri didn't even notice him. She'd been so caught up in what Hisahito had said.

"I'm just going on my break," Yuri said, trying to hide any additional emotions in her voice.

"Yes, but it looks like there's a conflict going on right now." The sternness in Iruka's voice was very obvious. It made both kids feel uneasy. "Hisahito, would you mind explaining what's going on right now?"

Hisahito tried to come up with a rational explanation, but he was stumbling over his words. His face was flushed and he kept looking between Iruka and Yuri with uncertainty. When it became obvious no explanation could be made, he was sent out to be dealt with. Once out of the way, Iruka glanced over to Yuri.

"What did he say to you?" he asked. "I know he said something. You look upset."*

"It's not important," Yuri said. "He'll be dealt with. That's the important thing."

"Should I tell your father about what happened?"

Yuri shook her head. "It's fine," she sighed. "Hisahito will be dealt with. I don't want to cause any more problems."

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Iruka gave a small smile. "I don't want you to believe whatever it is he told you," he said. "Because I know he said something inappropriate. A lot of the other instructors here have had problems with Hisahito. Don't take him too seriously, okay?"*

With a small, forced smile, Yuri nodded.

 **(ʘ‿ʘ)ノ✿**

"How are you with taijutsu?" Naruto asked. When Yuri finally made it to where the other students were, she felt herself relax some. Sadly, the feeling was shortlived. Many of the students started whispering when they saw her, giving her looks as she walked by. Chances were they were talking about what went down in class. Naruto was probably one of a select few who didn't care about what happened and just wanted to enjoy his break. But his desire to spend time with Yuri probably added onto the whispers with their classmates.

"I'm decent," Yuri responded. "I could still use some practice."

"Taijutsu's pretty easy," Naruto exclaimed, folding his arms behind his head. "I practice every day to get better at it! I think I'm pretty good, if you ask me."

"It's super physical, that's for sure."

"Sparring is my favorite part about taijutsu practice. I hope to fight someone strong so I can beat them!"

"So you just want to become stronger?" Yuri asked.

"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed. "If I get stronger in everything, then I'll be an amazing ninja! And if I become an amazing ninja, then I'll become Hokage and be recognized by the whole village."

Yuri looked at Naruto in a stunned silence. She'd never talked to him before, she'd never gone out of her way to spend even a _minute_ of her time with him before. They didn't even _know_ each other. Yet Naruto Uzumaki was comfortable enough with Yuri to express his biggest dream with her, and she didn't know how to process it. While she shouldn't be surprised about Naruto's dream, that was exactly how she felt. Yuri never paid much attention to him before. She only saw him as a troublemaker. He went out of his way to vandalize anything he could. He was pretty loud and a bit obnoxious. Not only that, but Naruto was trusted easily.

"You seriously want to become Hokage?" Yuri asked, shaking herself from her stunned silence.

"Yeah!" A wide grin came across Naruto's face. "The Hokage is respected by everyone in the village. And I want people to finally respect and recognize me."

"That seems like a big goal to have."

Scoffing, Naruto rolled his eyes. "Nothing's too big for me," he said confidently.

Yuri hummed in response.

"What about you? Why do _you_ want to become a ninja?" Naruto asked.

"I just want to prove myself," Yuri said. "I want to show that I have what it takes to be a capable kunoichi."

Letting out a thoughtful sound, Naruto nodded. He seemed genuinely interested in what Yuri was saying, which was reassuring. She never shared that with _any_ one. It was something she considered personal. But Yuri felt that if Naruto could share something she believed was personal for _him_ , then she could at least do the same for herself.

"That's a pretty good reason, I guess," he grumbled.

"That's a _really_ good reason." Yuri glared at Naruto. "I want to be a good kunoichi. I want to be able to prove myself to everyone else."

Naruto looked at her for a moment, a bit surprised at what she'd said. He couldn't really understand her point of view, mostly because he spent so much time thinking about how _he'd_ succeed as a shinobi. It seemed a bit odd hearing about another person's hopes. But he'd keep Yuri's in mind. She seemed to hold hers in high regards. He might even find himself wanting to rival her in some ways.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **First off, I'm so, so sorry for the wait on this chapter. Time got away from me and I forgot that I was writing a new chapter for this story. Not only that, but I was at pride on Sunday, and I was so exhausted after that that I didn't feel like doing anything. For me, it was my first time going to pride, so I was super excited. But since it was all the way in Seattle, I had to wake up super early just to get there. And I also don't drive so I asked and invited my sister to see if she wanted to come. But that's a story for a different time!**_

 _ **If you've got any constructive criticism, don't hesitate to give it to me! I think that'll help me improve my writing skills and improve the content of the story. I don't want to keep using the same repetitive writing and bore you guys to death. So tell me what's bothering you guys and I'll work on improving it.**_

 _ **Nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the pants I'm currently wearing. If you've got ideas for subplots or OCs, don't hesitate to let me know.**_

 _ **As a head's up for you guys, I start up summer classes very soon. I'll be attending one on-campus class for two days, but it's a math class and I suck at math. It'll only be for two days every week, but I'll need to spend a lot of time on it. So if you're wondering why I haven't updated in a while, that's why.**_

 _ **Be sure to leave a random fact in the reviews! It could be something you've known for a while or something you've learned recently.**_

 _ **Au revoir, my friends,**_

 _ **Farrah Czajkowski**_


	7. Chapter 7

_I find shelter, in this way_  
 _Under cover, hide away_  
 _Can you hear, when I say?_  
 _I have never felt this way_

-Shelter; **from The xx**

* * *

Yuri had to admit, she was fascinated with Naruto. There was something about him that set him apart from everyone else, and it seemed to go beyond his loud, eccentric behavior. His desire to become Hokage seemed to be driven by his childish desire to be acknowledged, so maybe that was it. Or, it could be something else entirely. Yuri couldn't say for sure. All she really knew was that he was fairly confident in himself. That was a good trait. Probably. Naruto's standing with the village had always been negative, so maybe becoming Hokage wouldn't be in his best interest. But who was Yuri to judge? In the years to come, maybe things could change. There was always room for that, right?

But during that break, while Yuri and Naruto spent it together, there was something. . . _nice_ about it. For once, in what felt like forever, the two weren't spending it alone. It was nice, being in the company of another person. For Yuri, it gave her the realization that she could go out and talk to others. For Naruto, he'd finally found someone who wasn't reacting negatively to him. He was able to _talk_ and _express_ himself. It was a first for both of them.

"Why're you so dedicated on proving you can be a good kunoichi?" Naruto asked. The question was a bit sudden, and it definitely caught Yuri off guard. She hadn't expected him to remember that little bit of their previous conversation. Naruto had switched the conversation, rather quickly, to his love of ramen, and Yuri found herself rather intrigued with how he talked about it. He'd go on long rants about his favorite flavors, how often he'd go out and eat at Ichiraku's, the different flavors he'd eat in a week — it seemed endless. So when he suddenly jumped from ramen, back to their previous discussion, it took Yuri a bit to properly answer.

"Uhm. . .well, my family's well known in the shinobi world," Yuri answered. "My father's a jōnin, one of the best in the village. My grandfather was a powerful shinobi, too. He gave everything for the village, but. . ."

It was hard to continue. Yuri had been told the unfortunate story of her grandfather. Sakumo Hatake had been a renown shinobi, feared and hailed by villages around the globe. Sadly, all it took was one failed mission to ruin Sakumo's reputation. His suicide left Kakashi devastated and Yuri being told only brief stories on who her grandfather had been. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't really need to know that kind of information.

"What happened to him?" Naruto asked. He sounded genuinely curious.

"That's not important." Yuri's voice had become soft, her eyes cast downward.

"What about your mom?"

"I don't know my mom," Yuri sighed.

A look of shock came across Naruto's face. "You don't?" he asked.

"No. She abandoned me as a baby. I was raised solely by my father."

Naruto hummed in response, thinking over those words carefully. He crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his bottom lip in thought. It was almost amusing to see, but Yuri found it wearing off rather quickly. The mention of her mother was still rather sensitive for her. After the disagreement Yuri and Kakashi had earlier that day, the wounds were still a little fresh.

"Well, I'm sure she's awesome," Naruto exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air. "She _has_ to be!"

With a slightly humorless chuckle, Yuri nodded. "I'd like to think so," she murmured. It would be nice to think her mother was awesome, and not just some foreigner. All Yuri wanted was to feel _some_ thing for the woman who birthed her. It seemed the most common was pain and confusion. She wanted there to be something different, something better.

"Trust me, I'm sure she is. She's got you for a daughter, right?"

 _He's so optimistic. . .how can someone be like that all the time?_ Yuri thought. She turned to study him for a moment. His blue eyes sparkled, a wide smile on his face — he was practically _radiating_. How could one kid glow that much?

 **(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)**

Kakashi hated how things ended with him and Yuri that morning. He didn't like things going badly between him and his daughter; it made him feel guilty. And while he wouldn't admit it out loud, Kakashi knew that Yuri had him wrapped around her little finger. At least to an extent. He knew she was capable of taking care of herself, and he was willing to give her some independence, but he still wanted to please her. He wanted to be the best father he could be. But when things shifted towards Kanna. . .Kakashi would feel emotionally torn.

Yuri's curiosity for her mother was understandable. While she had her own conflicting emotions, that underlying need to know would always be there. Kakashi understood that. 100% without a shadow of a doubt. At the same time, though, he just couldn't handle the thought of talking about her. Kanna brought up a lot of emotions for Kakashi, too; ones he was in no way proud of. It reminded him of how reckless he'd been; of how he became a parent so young. While the knowledge of Yuri's existence did end up bringing Kakashi some happiness, it still brought him a level of fear and uncertainty. He felt the drive to be a good father, to not leave his only child alone like _his_ parents did. But was his need to be a good father really worth keeping Kanna buried?

 _Every child has a right to know who their mother is,_ Kakashi thought. _Yuri's my daughter, I can't keep Kanna a secret from her forever._

It was a hard realization to come to, but one that apparently needed to be met. The only problem would be figuring out a way to bring the subject up again. . .and whether or not Kakashi had it in him to do so.

 **(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)**

When the break came to an end, Naruto and Yuri walked together to where taijutsu practice would be held. It wasn't too far, which was a relief. It gave the two a decent amount of time to continue talking. Naruto went on talking about his dream to become Hokage, about how he'd be the best shinobi in the entire village no matter what. Yuri listened intently, only talking when she had a question. It was in that moment the two came to see they were in their own little world.

It was almost astonishing, knowing no one else wanted to even _acknowledge_ Naruto's existence in the village. While he came off as childish and a bit over-the-top at times, there was something almost endearing about him. Maybe it was because he was so easy to talk to, or maybe it was because he seemed to latch on so easily to the first person to show him attention. Yuri couldn't exactly say, but she found herself growing to like him more and more the longer they spent talking.

". . .and I'll have the best carving on Hokage Rock," Naruto exclaimed. "I'll beat out those other Hokage, and everyone will know who I am!"

"Just how long do you train every day?" Yuri asked.

"I train for a long time after class," he stated. "A few hours at least. Then I go out and eat ramen at Ichiraku's."

"Well, do you think you feel confident with the final exam coming up?"

An almost dejected look came across Naruto's face. Any trace of his earlier glow seemed to have vanished in a second. "I think so," he grumbled. "I _hate_ the final exam."

A slight bubble of worry formed in Yuri's stomach. Naruto's reaction changed so quickly, it worried her a little.

"Have you taken it before?" she asked.

Naruto nodded silently.

"Do you think you've got it down?"

He only shrugged in response.

"If you need any extra help, I'd be more than happy to do so."

"Really?" Naruto asked, a twinge of hope in his voice.

"Yeah," Yuri said. "I'd like to think I'm average when it comes to basic techniques. And I'm sure my father could help if need be."

In a millisecond, Naruto's arms were wrapped around Yuri's body. He pulled her into a tight hug, a loud exclamation of _thank you_ 's filled the eleven year old's ears. It was in that moment Yuri came to realize she probably befriended the village's most hated resident. . .and she didn't mind.*

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **It's been a while since I've uploaded a chapter for this story. . .I'd like to apologize for that. I've been distracted by a whole bunch of other things, so this was pushed to the very bottom of my to do list. If you guys could leave constructive criticism, though, I'd appreciate it greatly. Tell me where I'm a little rusty, let me know if I got any canon characters wrong ****— I'd hate to find out later that I wrote them wrong. The last thing I want is to make any major changes in the story as a result.**_

 _ **Anywho, I own nothing in the Naruto universe. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the laptop I'm typing on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 _ **So, I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I have been taking college classes in the past. Fall quarter starts up on the 25th, but I'm taking time off so I can focus on work and saving up on money. I don't know if I'm positively going back to college, only because I want to figure out what I'm doing with my life, too; so yeah, there's that. But I thought you guys should at least know what's going on in that area.**_

 _ **With that, if you guys want to leave random facts in the review section, I'd appreciate it. It could be on something old or new, doesn't matter to me.**_

 _ **Au revoir, my friends,**_

 _ **Farrah Czajkowski**_


	8. Chapter 8

_Now here you go again, you say_  
 _You want your freedom_  
 _Well who am I to keep you down_  
 _It's only right that you should_  
 _Play the way you feel it_  
 _But listen carefully to the sound_  
 _Of your loneliness_

-Dreams; **by Fleetwood Mac**

* * *

Kakashi liked to remember. He liked to remember the time he first met Kanna, all those years ago. He was younger back then, more. . .standoffish. Too many tragedies in his childhood and adolescence caused Kakashi to become cold and uncaring. He felt he didn't deserve others in his life, since he'd already lost so much. And then there was Kanna, the Kumogakure woman. She had to be a year older than himself, yet he found himself drawn to her for some reason. Their moments of intimacy soon became one of Kakashi's biggest regrets. He should've known better than to create a connection — and a possible romantic one, to make matters worse — with a civilian, especially one from a different nation. It was so out of character for him to do something like that. But he had to acknowledge that he'd created a problem, and he didn't know how to properly address it in that moment. Leaving Kumogakure was probably the best solution. It did bring Kakashi some relief, but only for a few months. Then Kanna returned.

The day Kakashi realized he had a _child_. . .his whole world transformed. It filled him with emotions he couldn't quite explain. He was worried — what if his enemies used Yuri as a means of revenge? What other schemes could she be used for? Kakashi's emotions were conflicting, filling him with doubt and uncertainty. He wanted to have a minute to truly comprehend what was going on.

When it became clear that Kakashi would take Yuri into his care, he did his best to push those conflicting emotions aside. He had to be a good father to his child, despite all the odds. Kakashi had to figure out ways to overcome the risks that came with being a shinobi _and_ a father. He needed to figure it out quickly. Yuri's life was hanging in the balance.

Over time, Kakashi had developed a routine. He figured out how to balance his shinobi work and his duties as a father with little to no trouble. He had some help, thankfully, and it gave him techniques in how to properly parent as a single father. In more ways than one, it opened Kakashi's eyes. He hadn't realized how his world would change, how his life would be flipped in an instant when it came to caring for a child. Yuri soon became Kakashi's entire world. He'd do anything to please her, to give her a good shot at life. But he also had to keep in mind that Yuri was her own person. She'd develop her own desires, her own dreams. As badly as he wanted to be the father who spoiled her, Kakashi knew he'd have to be the father who understood boundaries, too. That was all he could really offer.

So Kakashi came to a conclusion. He'd spoil Yuri to an extent, but would do his best in instilling the independence and core values he believed she should have. He only had one opportunity, really, and he didn't want to screw it up.

Regardless of how uncertain Kakashi felt about being a father, regardless of how frightened he was about Yuri's safety, he had to keep in mind he only had one shot in making her a good, wholesome individual. If in any way he made a wrong move, it could impact his daughter for the rest of her life. And it seemed as though that "wrong move" had been taken long before Yuri could even talk.

It all started when Kakashi promised to never mention Kanna. Yuri's lack of knowledge of her mother was impacting her negatively, and he didn't even realize it.

 **~(˘▾˘~)**

Yuri and Naruto, along with the rest of their teammates, were on their way for taijutsu training. The two had gone into conversations about plenty of topics while on their venture, but Yuri found herself starting to fade away. It wasn't a voluntary action; it just _happened_. Naruto didn't seem to notice too much, considering he loved to talk so much. But his voice was blurring in and out, some words standing out more than others. It was hard to make out what he was trying to say, or what subject he'd jumped into, and Yuri did her best to keep up the facade that she was paying attention, but it was getting a bit difficult.

 _This isn't how a friendship is supposed to start, is it?_ Yuri thought. _It doesn't feel right, not giving Naruto the attention he needs._

The thought fluttered in her mind for a moment before vanishing. Yuri did feel a bit of guilt, knowing that not fully paying attention to Naruto could result in a number of things. Maybe he'd assume that friendliness that he'd been shown had been a front. Maybe he'd assume that there was something wrong with Yuri altogether. That could be true to an extent; maybe there _was_ something wrong with her. The daughter of the infamous Kakashi Hatake, the granddaughter of the dishonored Sakumo Hatake — was there something in their family none of them knew about? Or was Yuri's mind running on make believe?

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Yuri tried to shake herself free from her thoughts. It was almost ridiculous, how easily she was letting herself get distracted. It was very unlike her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto's question snapped Yuri out of her thoughts. He was looking at her with narrowed eyes, looking almost suspicious and curious at the same time.

"Uh. . .yeah, I'm fine," Yuri murmured.

"Are you sure?"*

"Yeah. Sorry."

"You looked like you were thinking really hard about something."

Shaking her head, Yuri tried for a smile. "It was nothing, really," she said. "I was just spacing out."

With a shrug, Naruto let out a huff.

When they finally reached the training area, all the students fell quiet. Iruka was standing in the center of one of the spots, looking to see if all his students had arrived. With a satisfied glint in his eyes, the session began.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 ** _Okay, to start things off, I'm in no way happy with how this chapter turned out. I thought I knew where I was going with it, but then the more I wrote, the more I realized I had no idea what I was doing. I think I dove back into this story too fast, given I haven't updated it in a while. All I'm really saying is that I'm rusty, and hopefully I can get myself back into a comfortable place with this. So I'm going to leave the rest to you guys. Give constructive criticism. Tell me what I did well in, tell me where I can improve. This chapter wasn't exactly amazing, and hopefully you guys can help me find out where I went wrong with it._**

 ** _Also, I own nothing in this franchise. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the clothes in my room. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible._**

 ** _So, I know this might be a bit weird for a story revolving around Naruto, but how many of you have seen the 'Bumblebee' trailer(s)? While I'm not the biggest fan of Transformers, I thought the trailer(s) looked promising. I know there are some people out there who're happy with how the designs look similar to the show's G1 get-up, but I've never seen the shows so. . ._**

 ** _I don't know. I was just curious._**

 ** _If you want to leave a random fact in the review section, go ahead. Or, if you want to, leave a review about any good movies or movie trailers you've seen lately. I know Marvel released its first trailer for Captain Marvel, and I think it looks really good! I've wanted to see how they'd portray her for a while now. From the looks of it, though, a lot of people aren't happy with how Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, but whatever. Everyone's got their own opinion._**

 ** _I'd better wrap this author's note up._**

 ** _Au revoir, my friends,_**

 ** _Farrah Czajkowski_**


	9. Chapter 9

Hey look ma, I made it  
Hey look ma, I made it  
Everything's comin' up aces, aces  
If it's a dream, don't wake me, don't wake me  
I said hey look ma, I made it

-Hey Look Ma, I Made It; **by Panic! At the Disco**

* * *

Kanna let out a heavy sigh. Her body was aching, her mind spinning from the day's events. She'd spent a majority of it with Kumogakure's elders, discussing matters happening both _in_ side and _out_ side the nation. It was important to be on top of things like that, considering an invasion or disaster could happen at any given moment. For Kanna, being able to discuss with Kumo's elders was very important. She had members of her own family in the government, so it was important to provide important information. But, at the end of the day, Kanna knew that she'd be able to go home to a loving family. With a supportive husband and young child, it was nice to know that she had something to look forward to.

"Long day?" Kanna's husband, Asashi, stepped out from the kitchen, looking at his wife cautiously.

"You don't know the _half_ of it," Kanna grumbled. Taking her shoes off, she placed what little personal belongings she brought with her off to the side. "I'm just happy it's over."

"I can't imagine having to deal with those old goons all day," Asashi commented. "I'd lose my mind."

"The only reason they let me in at _all_ is because of my family."

Nodding, Asashi hummed in response. "I was thinking," he murmured, "Itsuki is getting to the age where he can enroll in the Academy. . ."

"No." The answer was immediate, sharp and fearful. The idea of enrolling her youngest child into a ninja Academy frightened Kanna. She'd already lost one child to a ninja, she couldn't afford to have her other one get involved in the life. In her mind, no good came out of such a lifestyle. Shinobi were all barbarians, in her eyes. They preyed on the unfortunate, on the weak-minded and naive. Kanna had promised herself, after giving Yuri up that day in Konoha, that she'd no longer feel any sympathy or kindness towards ninja. Her life had been upturned the day her daughter was born, and there was no way of reclaiming it.

"Why?" Asashi looked at Kanna with furrowed brows. "What's wrong with Itsuki becoming a shinobi?"

"I don't want him associating with those. . . _savages_ ," Kanna snapped. "The last thing I want is for my son to be exposed to their way of life."

Walking over, Asashi gently placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. He could see the fury in her eyes, the absolute _hatred_. He knew, deep down, that Kanna had some kind of experience with shinobi in the past. The bitterness she felt towards them was evident, but there would have to be a time where she worked to overcome that negativity.

"Not all shinobi are savages, you know that, right?" he said gently. "They protect us. They're the reason why the world's not in complete chaos."

"Obviously you haven't seen the shinobi I've encountered." Brushing her husband's hands off, Kanna crossed her arms over her chest before storming into the kitchen. "Where's Itsuki, anyway?" she asked.

"He's sleeping." Asashi ran a hand through his hair, following his wife into the kitchen. "I put him down for a nap a little over an hour ago."

"I know you mean well," Kanna said, "but I can't bring myself to put Itsuki into a world like that. I don't want him to. . ." Scowling, she shook her head before looking back at Asashi. "I want him to be safe and _alive_. The shinobi world won't give him that kind of security."

 **(ง°ل͜°)ง**

"We'll be starting our lesson today with some sparring." Iruka looked out at his students expectantly. "It's important to familiarize ourselves with taijutsu forms and techniques. We've been practicing for a few weeks now. I'll partner you all up and have you begin sparring."

Yuri could practically _see_ the restlessness radiating off Naruto. He was fidgeting where he stood, his eyes darting all over the place; but one place he seemed to focus on was where a particular student was standing. Sasuke Uchiha, who stood a little ways away from the rest of the class, looked completely uninterested. His posture demonstrated that he could care less what Iruka was saying, but showing _just_ enough interest to go along with it. Yuri found Sasuke's aloofness to be obnoxious, even arrogant. No one could be _that_ cold and distant all the time. Yeah, his clan was slaughtered, but that didn't he had to act the way he did. Right? But then again, what would Yuri know. The only people in her clan was Kakashi. The Hatake family was almost hilariously small. It's not like Yuri could really talk, honestly.

So, while Iruka named off the partnered up students, Yuri tried to keep herself as distracted as possible. While taijutsu was something she did well in, it wasn't really a favored subject of hers. It was so physical, and she had to put in a _lot_ to keep up with some of the other students. Fumika Hyuga, in particular, was a student Yuri had a hard time with when it came to taijutsu. The Hyuga clan was well known in the Leaf Village. Cross that, they were well known throughout all of _Konoha_. It was said they were older than the nation itself. Yuri couldn't say she knew for sure, but she had an inkling that it was _possibly_ true. But Fumika. . .she was something else. Her taijutsu was phenomenal, considering one of her most powerful move was the Gentle Fist.

Yuri had gone against Fumika in sparring once before. The end result had been almost disastrous. It didn't take very long for Fumika to land some critical hits on Yuri, and that only caused the young Hatake to push herself even harder to succeed. In the end, Iruka had to step in and break it up. The damage was becoming too serious, and he didn't want to deal with any wrath Kakashi would unfold.

"Yuri Hatake, you will be sparring with Sasuke Uchiha," Iruka called.

A chill went up Yuri's spine. She'd witnessed Sasuke's battle style, she knew he could be ruthless at times. Being the last of his clan, he trained harder than anyone to reach his full potential. Rumor had it he also had his Sharingan, which was even more terrifying. And if that was true, then the _last_ thing Yuri wanted was face off against Sasuke and his Sharingan. Kakashi's left eye possessed the Uchiha's most prized kekkei genkai, that was how he became such a well-known shinobi. The stories Yuri heard about her father led to her discomfort — her fear, really — of the Sharingan.

"What!" Naruto exclaimed. "You get Sasuke!?"

With a sigh, Yuri looked at Naruto with a deep frown. "Is it _really_ that big of a deal?" she murmured.

"Of _course_ it is," Naruto scoffed. "I wanted to spar against him!"

"Hey, Naruto, why don't you just shut up?" Kiba, another classmate of theirs, snapped. "It's not like you'd be able to beat Sasuke anyway. You're not strong enough and you never _will_ be."

"What'd you say!?" Naruto barked. "Why don't you come over here, _Kiba_ , and say that to my face!"

"That's _enough_ ," Iruka announced. "Naruto, Kiba, you both will be sparring against each other. I'd also like a word with you _both_ after class."

With a dissatisfied grunt, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest begrudgingly. Kiba simply scoffed at the notion.

Yuri sighed at that. There were a lot of things about Naruto she couldn't understand; one of them being the hostility others felt towards him. He was a troublemaker and a bit of obnoxious at the best of times, but deep down he _had_ to be a good person. Naruto's initial kindness towards Yuri had to mean _some_ thing, right? He didn't have to go out of his way to see if she was okay, but he did. She didn't have to offer him training, but she did. Why the villagers chose to disrespect him so frequently was a mystery.

"First up: Hinata and Shikamaru."

 **(ง°ل͜°)ง**

The sparring matches went on for what felt like an eternity. Iruka would call students up, and they'd be forced to demonstrate their abilities in front of the entire class. Some were very talented when it came to taijutsu, others sill had much to learn. Yuri made sure to pay close attention to every classmate that went up. She'd try and study their movements, understand their techniques. She wanted to know what made them good or bad. She felt as though, by studying them closely, she'd be able to improve her _own_ taijutsu. For Yuri, that was important.

After a match between Hisahito and Choji, Iruka gave them some feedback before looking among the students who hadn't participated yet.

"Next: Sasuke and Yuri," he called.

 _Well, here goes nothing, I guess,_ Yuri thought. Taking a deep breath, she tried to keep herself as calm as possible. She couldn't afford to lose her cool before the match even began.

"Hey." Naruto's voice was unusually soft, but still caught Yuri's attention. When she turned to look at him, she was surprised to see the gentle expression on his face. "You'll do fine, okay?" he murmured.

With a hint of a smile on Yuri's face, she nodded.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **I know it's taken a bit too long for this chapter to get posted, but here it is! I don't know how I feel about it, but hopefully you guys at least tolerate it.**_

 _ **Nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the lamp in my bedroom. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 _ **Also, be sure to leave constructive criticism where you think it's due. What did I do well in? What could be improved upon? Did I put in any unnecessary detail(s)? I'd like to know what you guys think. It'll help me improve my writing by a lot.**_

 _ **For any questions or comments left by reviewers: Arianna Le Fay, you asked what Yuri looked like. In regards to skin tone, it's light brown. If you want some kind of visual, you could look up the character Ryuzetsu. She was in the Naruto movie, Blood Prison. Yuri's skin tone is similar to Ryuzetsu's. Her hair is the same silvery color as Kakashi's. She has the same shape eyes as Kakashi's, maybe a bit more feminine, and I believe I mentioned in earlier chapters they're amber colored. I don't know if that answers your question a lot, but if you want more information on Yuri's appearance, you could PM me and I'll give you more details. Thank you so, so much for your review(s).**_

 _ **Heart, my friend, I appreciate the time you take to review for all my chapters. I can't appreciate you enough! And I'd like to thank you even more for the review left for ch. 8! That wasn't my best chapter, and the detail you put into your review helped me out a lot.**_

 _ **Hajikami, I appreciate your suggestion/idea for some kind of connection to be formed between Yuri and Sasuke. I'm hoping I can do a good job at doing so. Maybe, if it's okay with you, we could work something out in that regard.**_

 _ **Demon Bro the 14th, I know what you mean. I'm thinking about leaving in Naruto learning the Rasengan, only because that's one of his most powerful abilities. At the same time, I want him to know other attacks that could help him later on. The only problem is I don't know what else to give him. Maybe we can work out some ideas.**_

 ** _Be sure to leave a random fact in the reviews! It could be something you've known for a while, or something you've known recently._**

 ** _Au revoir, my friends,_**

 ** _Farrah Czajkowski_**


	10. Chapter 10

_In the heat of a summer night_  
 _In the land of the dollar bill_  
 _When the town of Chicago died_  
 _And they talk about it still_  
 _When a man named Al Capone_  
 _Tried to make that town his own_  
 _And he called his gang to war_  
 _With the forces of the law_

-The Night Chicago Died; **by Paper Lace**

* * *

Yuri stood on the sparring platform, her body tense and her eyes looking directly at Sasuke. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, making her feel as though her body were about to explode. It was odd, feeling so nervous around someone. It was something Yuri never really experienced before. But when it came to Sasuke, she had to admit there were certain aspects about his fighting that came off as violent. She could only hope to fend him off for as long as possible. She didn't want to get severely injured in any way.

On the other hand, _Sasuke_ looked like his usual uncaring self. He looked like he couldn't be bothered with what was going on around him. That was probably another reason why Yuri's heart was beating so uncontrollably in her chest. Sasuke was so indifferent to everything. He was always giving off that attitude at every little thing presented to him. It was unnerving. Maybe Yuri's need to label him as arrogant was a way to hide the true feelings of discomfort she felt around him. It was hard to say, really.

For a split second, Yuri's eyes flickered to where Iruka stood. His gaze flickered between the two students, making sure they were ready before giving the signal.

 _All you have to do is remember your training,_ Yuri thought. _You've learned about taijutsu here at the Academy. Father's given you plenty of opportunities to practice, too. Don't let all of that training go to waste._

Swallowing thickly, Yuri nodded her head just a fraction. She had to make sure all the time she spent out practicing wouldn't be put to waste.

"Begin," Iruka called.

Not even a second later, Yuri jumped into the air, extending one leg out for a powerful kick. Doing a single flip while in the air, the young Hatake could only _hope_ she'd land a strong enough hit on Sasuke. She'd done her best to stay on top of her taijutsu, but she knew that her opponent was strong in his own right, as well. But right as Yuri's leg would've made contact, Sasuke brought his arms up in protection, his body tense. Her leg hit their target — or rather, his _arms_ — but it didn't cause too much damage. He skidded back a little, but that was about it. Using Sasuke's arms to push herself off and onto the ground, Yuri silently cursed. Taking a calming breath, she positioned her body into a fighting stance, her mind reeling with different ways she could attack next.

Yuri's eyes didn't leave Sasuke for a second, though. She studied his features, his face and his dark eyes. She wanted to ensure that there was no way he'd activate his Sharingan during their sparring match. Yuri was positive she wouldn't have it in her to face him if he activated them. But before she could delve further into her thoughts, Sasuke went on with his own attack.

 **(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧**

Iruka had to admit, he was rather impressed. Yuri and Sasuke seemed to be close in their taijutsu skills, and he was rather fascinated with how they displayed their abilities. But, at the same time, he was a bit uncomfortable, as well. Sasuke's coldness could mean he'd attack rather violently; Yuri's accuracy could mean she'd land potentially harmful hits. Of course, Iruka knew that taijutsu was a very physical technique, but he had to keep in mind he was still dealing with children. He couldn't let them tear each other apart over a sparring session.

But he continued to watch Yuri and Sasuke spar. So did the other students.

Sasuke was fast, having quickly appeared in front of Yuri, catching her off guard. His fist was drawn back, ready to strike, but she was quick to retaliate. Before the punch could be delivered, Yuri kicked Sasuke back, propelled herself forward and landed a punch on his stomach. Iruka's jaw set when he saw the breath get knocked out of the young Uchiha. For Yuri, she watched in mild satisfaction as Sasuke fell on the ground and skidded on his back. He let out a groan before pulling himself onto his feet. Without so much as a second thought, he charged at Yuri again. Iruka's eyes kept on their movements, making sure they didn't do anything too reckless.

Yuri managed to block a hit and a kick from Sasuke before she pushed him back and attempted to hit him again. That style of fighting seemed to go on for a while — hit, block, push. It would take a while before one of them would manage to land an actual hit. It was Sasuke, that time, who managed to punch Yuri in the face. She stumbled back, all the while the young Uchiha propelled himself upward, flipping twice, with one of his legs preparing to land a powerful kick.* Yuri barely had time to recover before stumbling back before Sasuke could land another blow. Once he was on the ground, she threw herself forward one more time, her left hand clenched into a fist. She landed a strong enough punch on Sasuke's stomach to send him flying at least a foot before he landed on his back.

That was Iruka's cue.

He immediately stepped in, putting himself between where Yuri and Sasuke. While the young Uchiha struggled to get up, due to the force of the punch, he did manage to get on his feet after a bit. His dark eyes glared at Yuri and Iruka, clearly not accustomed to be in such a condition, especially in front of others.

"You both are done," Iruka instructed. "Sasuke, Yuri, the two of you sparred excellently. But, of course, there will be some room for improvement."

 **(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧**

Yuri felt her mind spinning. Had she _really_ managed to overpower Sasuke Uchiha? Or had she simply been lucky? In all honesty, she felt as though the sparring match could've gone on for much longer. If Iruka hadn't stepped in, the two could've shown their true potential. But, of course, they couldn't. They were students, not yet able to really show what they were capable of. But, for Yuri, she felt as though she did accomplish _some_ thing. Her taijutsu was good, but still needed some improvement. Sasuke's was the same way.

Letting out a sigh, she winced a little. Yuri's face ached from where Sasuke managed to punch her, and she was certain it would leave a bruise.

 _I can already imagine father's reaction,_ she thought. Her mood dampened at the thought of Kakashi. The emotions she felt from that morning's argument were still somewhat fresh, and she dreaded having to go home to him. Would he still be upset with her? Would he try and pretend it didn't happen? There was no telling how Kakashi would react. He had a bad habit of ignoring certain topics if he could help it. Yuri believed it was some kind of coping mechanism — she didn't entirely know, though. There were some things Kakashi would willingly discuss with her, and others he'd gladly refuse to acknowledge above all else. He was unpredictable in a sense.

"Yuri!" Naruto's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She jumped a little, looking at Naruto with wide eyes. His blue eyes were bright and filled with so many emotions. A wide smile was on his face, his arms folded behind his head.

"Hey," she murmured, looking at him. Confusion bubbled in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't understand why he looked so happy.

"You did awesome out there," he exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd be _that_ good against Sasuke!"

Yuri simply shrugged in response.

"How would you feel about teaching me taijutsu later?" Naruto asked.

"Uhm. . .maybe?" Yuri grumbled.*

With an enthusiastic giggle, he nodded his head furiously.

 **(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧**

The remainder of the school day went by rather uneventfully. After the taijutsu sparring, Yuri's class was split up between girls and boys. There were moments at the Academy where the necessity of teaching the boys and girls separately were important. Yuri found it to be a bit tedious. From flower arrangements to cultural differences, she sometimes found herself spacing in and out between those sessions. Being a ninja meant blending in, not drawing too much attention. Yuri knew that; her father had told her plenty of times. But she had to wonder what the boys learned in _their_ lessons.

Looking around, Yuri took in everything around her. She took in the scenery, the plant-life and the openness. Since Iruka-sensei didn't teach the girls once the class got split up, that meant a female instructor had to step in. This instructor, Ami-sensei, was kind and gentle. But, at the same time, she had a firmness about her. She had a no-nonsense attitude, not taking anyone's crap lightly. But when she was in charge, her favorite spot to take the girls would be outside the village, in a meadow not even a mile out. The wildflowers that grew there were beautiful, especially during spring and summer. The grass was tall and everything smelled fresher. But Yuri. . .she was more distracted than anything. Her mind kept wandering, from whether or not Kakashi would still be mad at her, to Naruto's desire to train with her, to her taijutsu match between her and Sasuke — her mind kept going to other things. She couldn't focus.

Looking down, Yuri tried figuring out a way to clear the messiness in her mind. If she allowed herself to get so easily distracted, then she'd miss important information. Yuri couldn't afford that.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **Hey, my friends! Sorry for the wait, but here's the latest chapter. Hopefully you guys find it to be decent.**_

 _ **Nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the paychecks I get from my job. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 _ **Also, be sure to leave constructive criticism. What am I doing well in? What could use more work? How accurately/inaccurately am I portraying the canon characters? That kind of stuff is important to me. I won't be able to improve if I don't know what you guys think is wrong. So drop that into the reviews and I'll do my best to keep it in mind.**_

 _ **Be sure to leave a random fact in the review section. It could be on something new or on something old. It's entirely up to you guys.**_

 _ **With that, I'll wrap this author's note up.**_

 _ **Au revoir, my friends,**_

 _ **Farrah Czajkowski**_


	11. Chapter 11

_I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in_  
 _I'll never meet the ground_  
 _Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us_  
 _We're far from the shallow now_

-Shallow; **by Bradley Cooper + Lady Gaga**

* * *

"Okay, everyone, I'm gonna need all of you to gather 'round." Ami's voice called out, catching everyone's attention. The girls were still out in the meadow, collecting whatever flowers they could under their instructor's orders. It was something they'd done a million times before; something they were _more_ than familiar with. As the girls started making their way over to where Ami was, she let out a satisfied hum with what she saw. "Is that everyone?" she murmured, counting off heads. She knew that, at eleven and twelve years old, her students knew better than to wander off, but she couldn't help but double check. "Alright," she exclaimed, "can you guys explain to me why flower arrangements are important in kunoichi training?"

"It helps us understand the importance of blending in." The response came from Ino Yamanaka, one of the few other girl classmates in Yuri's class. Her parents owned a flower shop.* From what Yuri could gather, Ino was one of many girls obsessed with Sasuke.

"That's right," Ami said. "By learning how to do this, we can understand how to blend into different cultures."

"I don't understand how flowers can connect with blending in," Yuri said. That had always been a difficulty of hers. How did flowers equate to blending in?

"It's the arrangement of the flowers," Ino scoffed. "Putting them in a certain order, knowing which one goes where. Kunoichi who know that will be able to know where they fit in undercover missions."

"That's one way of putting it," Ami chuckled. "Yuri, these methods may not seem very effective _now_ , but later on, it could help you out tremendously."

Frowning, all Yuri could really do was nod.

 **(✿◠‿◠)**

When the school day officially ended, Ami led the girls back to the village, to the Academy, to retrieve their belongings. During that trip back to the village, Yuri listened as the other girls chattered happily. They seemed content with everything that had gone on during the day, at ease with how things were turning out for them. In Yuri's case, she wasn't really sure if she could relate to them. . .only because the girls in her class never gave her the chance to socialize with them. In a lot of ways, the girls in her class tended to ignore her. She wasn't complaining at all, but Yuri did feel the effects of the isolation.

 _They don't matter,_ Yuri thought. _Nothing they say or do will ever matter._

She had to stick by that rule. Yuri was going to the Academy to start her shinobi career, not get brought down by a bunch of hostile classmates. She had better things to think about. Still, there were fleeting moments where Yuri wondered what it'd be like to have girl friends. She would watch them talk and laugh and gossip, and she wondered what it was like. The only problem was they never gave her a second glance; they never gave her the opportunity to _be_ something.

 _Why would you want their companionship?_ a small voice whispered. _You've got something better than them, right? You've managed to befriend Naruto, and you're complaining about what other girls think about you? You've never cared about these girls before; don't let them bother you now._*

It was true. Yuri tried to clear her mind, she had to push out all those little thoughts that were bugging her. She couldn't bother herself with all those little things, all the things that seemed so insignificant in the long run. Yuri couldn't afford to worry about whether or not she'd be able to make new friends. She had to worry about what was going on in school. . .and with the developing friendship between her and Naruto.

 **(✿◠‿◠)**

Kakashi made his way to the Academy in the most nonchalant way he could. He didn't want to make himself look too anxious, but he didn't want to come off as too carefree. Kakashi knew that meeting his daughter at the Academy was something he rarely did, and it'd more than likely draw attention, but he couldn't let that bother him. He spent a good portion of the day wondering about all the things he could do once he and Yuri were at home. He'd have to figure out a way to bring up Kanna again without twisting any negative emotions.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, Kakashi couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. He knew Yuri would have questions about her mother; it was inevitable that she would. But his own hostility towards Kanna seemed almost immediate. Kakashi was angered by how Yuri could be abandoned so easily by her mother. He was angered by how Yuri bore so many similarities with Kanna, even though he didn't know her all that well. Kakashi was also angered by his own foolishness. He allowed himself to get close to a civilian, which was something he never would've done. On top of that, he got close to someone form Kumogakure. He should've known the risks, but he didn't care in the moment. But, in the end, Kakashi could never be angry with Yuri. He knew she had no fault in his own personal struggles.

No, Kakashi could never allow his troubles get in the way for his devotion for his daughter. Yuri held a special place in his heart, and he'd never allow himself to resent her for any of his mistakes. It was because of Yuri's existence that Kakashi came to understand the importance of so many things. Having grown up alone after the deaths of his parents, his daughter helped him rediscover the value of having a family. She showed him how beautiful the little things were. She also showed him what it felt like to love unconditionally. Yuri was Kakashi's world, and he would _not_ let himself blame her for anything.

So maybe it was time to make things right. Maybe it was time to start talking about Kanna.

 **(✿◠‿◠)**

Once the girls were near the Academy, Yuri crossed her arms over her chest. She felt her shoulders hunch a little, her hair fall a bit in front of her face. There was a familiar scent, one she knew all too well.

 _Father's close by,_ she thought. _I wonder what he wants this time._

Would he notice the darkening bruise on Yuri's face? Would he notice her standoffish behavior? Would he _care_? Well, the last one seemed a bit stupid. They _all_ seemed a bit stupid. Kakashi Hatake was very observant, so he'd notice the bruise and her odd behavior. And, above all else, he'd _care_. Yuri knew better than anyone that her father had a very peculiar way of showing his emotions. He'd figure a way to surprise her, she was certain. She could only hope he didn't do anything to embarrass her.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **This is a short chapter, I know, and not the best, but I hope you guys enjoy it, at least. I was getting a bit of writer's block halfway through the chapter, so that's probably why it turned out the way it did. Either way, I hope you like it.**_

 _ **Nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and an appreciation for good memes. If you've got an idea for OCs or subplots, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.**_

 _ **Be sure to leave constructive criticism where you think it's due. Let me k**_ _ **now what I'm doing well in and what I can improve. That's something I find to be very important.**_

 _ **If you guys have any random facts you'd like to leave, be sure to do so. It could be on something new or on something old. It's up to you guys.**_

 ** _Au revoir, my friends,_**

 ** _Farrah Czajkowski_**


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